Global Journal of Human Social Science, C: Sociology and Culture, Volume 22 Issue 1

campaign. The objective of the research study was to assess the impact of the interventions and gain the knowledge to scale the programme further to design future interventions. II. M ethodology a) Research Aim and Research Approach This research study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of a self-formulated campaign called “Spot On & Off” to raise awareness about menstrual hygiene among females of age groups 8-15, 16-35 and 36-60. in the area of Mewat in Haryana. The findings of this research study would allow for the formulation and implementation of future interventions to foster proper menstrual hygiene management among females in rural communities in India. A mixed-method approach was adopted. First, two separate in-person surveys with girls from different age groups in this village before and three months after the campaign were conducted. b) Data Collection Procedure This research study was inspired by an article entitled “Less than 20% Menstruating Girls & Women in India Use Pads: Here’s how to Overcome Barriers” (Gopalan, 2019). It reported that only slightly over 20% of the women in India use sanitary pads because of lack of awareness, a lack of acceptance and a lack of access. The talk about menstruation seemed to be very normal in urban areas; it was hard to believe that what seemed to be a commonplace topic would be considered taboo. In particular, the health issues associated with using inappropriate menstrual materials were worrisome, which can have adverse long-term ramifications. The first step of the campaign was talking to young girls in a village in Mewat. They talked about how they did not have enough knowledge about menstruation, enough money to buy pads or even access to shops to get pads or medicine if they needed it. This led to the start of the non-profit campaign, “Spot On & Off”, around May 2020. The vision is to create awareness, break taboos about certain practices that people believe should be followed during menstruation and empower women to embrace menstruation as a natural process in their life cycle. Here were the steps formulated: c) Research Hypotheses The hypotheses are as follows: Null Hypothesis 1a: There would be no significant difference between the understanding of menstruation before and after the awareness campaign. Alternative Hypothesis 1b: There would be a significant difference between the understanding of menstruation before and after the awareness campaign. Null Hypothesis 2a: There would be no significant effect of the respondents’ understanding of menstruation on the liking of reusable pads. Alternative Hypothesis 2b: There would be a significant effect of the respondents’ understanding of menstruation on the liking of reusable pads. Null Hypothesis 3a: There would be no significant effect on the liking of reusable pads if the respondents’ shared their knowledge or not. Alternative Hypothesis 3b: There would be a significant effect on the liking of reusable pads if the respondents’ shared their knowledge or not. d) Sample The sample consisted of 305 female respondents. There were 54 respondents between the ages 8-15 years old, 187 respondents between the ages 16-35 years old and 64 respondents between the ages 36-60 years old. The mean age of the females was between 16-35 years old. All these females lived in the areas of Kherla and Rewasan in Mewat, Haryana, India. e) Ethical Considerations Before taking the survey, all the respondents were informed about this research report and what their responses would be used for. All of them fully consented to take part in this survey. The information obtained from them was only for the purpose of this research report and will not be shared with any third party. © 2022 Global Journals Volume XXII Issue I Version I 33 ( ) Global Journal of Human Social Science - Year 2022 C “Spot On & Off”: Evaluation of Effectiveness of Self-Formulated Menstrual Hygiene Campaign in Rural India • Pre Survey: The first survey was done to understand their concerns, and assess the areas where help was needed the most and also have a baseline understanding of their knowledge. [see appendix A] • Awareness campaign and pad distribution: Someone older and more experienced was needed to talk to the girls so that they would listen. For this reason, gynaecologists made videos to talk to them. The pad would be distributed to the girls who attended the workshop, and the rest would be distributed later by The Shri Ram Foundation (SRF). • Post Survey: The second survey was done to assess the extent of the impact post the awareness campaign. [see appendix A] • Purchase of reusable pads: Reusable pads were given instead of regular disposable pads for a variety of reasons being - over a longer period of time it was less costly, survived much longer than disposable pads and they are also more comfortable. To procure these pads, a fundraiser was done.